Open Source Software

Open Source software is an alternative to buying otherwise pricey programs. Instead of going out and buying the premium program for your need (i.e. picture,movie, music editing), you can go to online website and use their product for free. While these programs can be just as good as their expensive counterparts they also can come with a serious risk. It is not uncommon for Open Source software to often contain things that could be harmful for your computer. In my opinion I think Open Source software is great and should be used by everyone as long as you take the proper precautions.

As a sports management major I do not see myself needing to rely on Open Source software. As for my personal life, I will always be a fan of it and continue to use it. Not only is it cheap but for some programs they can be easier to use and easier to access.

Earlier in the year I posted a blog about Photoshop which is an example of a pricey picture editing software. An open source software that emulates Photoshop is Gimp, for my video I have a chosen a YouTube video which compares the two. Hopefully you will be able to see the difference between the two (besides the price tag) and formulate an opinion on Open Source software.

Distance Learning and Virtual Schooling

We learned in class this week about the ability of schools to be able to teach students and for students to learn without ever having to step foot into a classroom. Currently we use e-Learning as a way to teach kids outside of the classroom. Students can learn an entire subject without ever meeting the teacher face to face and just go into class to take the tests. Also Virtual Schooling is becoming more popular with more and more people getting great jobs with just an online degree. Online school is becoming more and more popular.

I do no see myself using Virtual Schooling ever as a sports management major but I would definitely use it if I ever became a teacher. I am an advocate of it in my everyday life also as I see it as a way to embrace technology.

Here is an article from salary.com talking about Online degree and the potential that they bring. Within the article it points to different kinds of online degrees including graduate studies. There can be positive that comes out of virtual schooling and should be look at by everybody.

Using Games for Education and Learning

This week in class we learned about the pros and cons of bringing the gaming world into the classroom. Games have a history about being used strictly for recreational use, but with the increase in technology there has been a recent to increase the use of games. Gaming allows for students to stay involved and learn the curriculum in a fun, easy atmosphere. The huge con is that educational gaming could take students away from the actual point of school and that is to learn. I am a huge believer in educational gaming especially with the increasing number of video game systems and computers people have their homes. Parents and teachers should not fight increasing technology but rather they should embrace it.

With my major I do not see myself using educational just because there would never be a time I would be educating someone. Maybe in my latter years if I become a teacher sharing my knowledge of the business I would use educational gaming for my students to learn. In my future the only time I would ever see it again is if I was speaking about the subject and why it should be used at PTSA board meeting. I will 100 percent encourage my children to use it and to use it to its full benefit.

Embedded below is YouTube video which shows an example of a possible educational game. When you watch it you will be able to see how harmless it is. You will also be able to see how easy it is to see the benefits. In this specific example it shows a game in which students are asked to spell words. It is no different than a teacher explaining it except it is intended to stimulate students interest in learning.

Creating a Professional Web Presence

This week we were asked to Google ourselves in class. First off, try it and see what comes up, it is really interesting to see what your current web presence looks like. We learned the importance of having a web presence and we watched a Google Sites tutorial. With more and more people logging online everyday and businesses having access to the internet it is very important that we keep a serious web presence. At any point a company we are applying could Google us or look at our Facebook, it is important to keep a serious presence so that anyone scouting us will only see positive things.

From this point on I will always have a web presence and it will only continue to grow. It is very important to keep it up because it will be a primary way of clients to see who I am and how to go about contacting me. More and more people are skipping the Yellow Pages and hopping right on there computers and clicking on the first link that comes from Google when they are looking to get stuff done. It is important that when people are searching I come up so people can see me for who I am and give me potential new business.

This is a link to an article on ESPN.com. It tells the story of a man who work at a stadium for a pro sports team. After learning his favorite player was not retained through free agency he bashed the team on his facebook for letting the player go. The team saw this and because he did not keep his presence professional he was fired. It shows the importance of how everything you do online can always be seen by someone and it is important to not show yourself in the wrong light.

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is way for businesses and people to work together more efficiently when working in a group setting. Cloud computing allows for people to join a group, one person upload a writing or idea, while everyone else can see the document and edit it without hundreds of emails being sent. It allow for quick easy access to the work with a few clicks of the mouse key. Google Doc and Delicious are examples of cloud computing.

I will one hundred percent use cloud computing in my future. Say I am working on big project with multiple athletes and their clients. I could use cloud computing to tie them all together so they are all on the same page and that I am transparent in my business. I could all use Delicious to share websites with my colleagues that pertain to rules and regulation so that no body ever misses a beat.

I think that cloud computing is something that is very hard to explain in words. The best way to see how it works is to try it out. Once you give it a shot I am confident that you will find it very useful. Embedded is a YouTube which helps put cloud computing in perspective and hopefully will give you the motivation to try it yourself.

Week 8 Song I Made

I made this song using GarageBand on the Mac. I played around for hours, it isn't too complicated but I really like the way it sounds. It is a series of custom beats lapped over each other. I could definitely see a band using it. I don't see myself using Garageband that much in my profession. It could be helpful with making songs for video montages but other than that I do not see where I would use it. I couldn't figure out how to use imeem so instead I just loaded it to filefront. Enjoy!!

MY SONG

The Sound of...Podcasting

This week we learned how to make podcasts and utilize garageband on the Mac. I learned this week that podcasts are really easy to make. I also finally opened up Garage Band for the first time and it is really cool. Garage Band is a program that comes on all Macs and allows the user to easily make songs and beats. I have been playing with it all day and can not stop, making beats is so much fun.

Every day thousands of new podcasts are added to iTunes. Many athletes, sports broadcasters, and athletic figureheads such as Athletic Directors have podcasts these days. Being a sports management major I will be dealing with these players and since they are trying to get involved with this new type of media it is important for me to be savvy with it. Learning this will actually benefit me in my future.

The video I chose shows the possibilities of Garage Band. It is some talentless guy trying to sing but he is able to sound half decent because of Garage Band. Podcasts are so easy to make and something like this can easily be turned into a podcast.